A Powerless Control
by Gears and Wires
Summary: As far as anyone knew, Buttercup never got her powers and now, she'll never be able to. As far as anyone knew, because of a certain incident, at age 16, Buttercup Utonium lost every single one of her powers. Clearly, they don't know much. Femslash in later chapters
1. That Day

It wasn't an entire surprise that her powers turned out to be so dark. She knew there was something wrong with her.

She loved the thrill of the fight. She loved the adrenaline and the power. She even loved the scrapes and bruises that came with an exceptionally strong opponent. Everyone knew this about her and she didn't bother hiding it.

Her secret was much darker. While she did enjoy the chase and the fight, in Buttercup's mind, the best thing was after the chase she was granted this kind of control over the victim. She and she alone could decide where they were going to leave or stay. She decided when and if they could take a breath of relief at her departure. Most of all, she had a choice of deciding if it was going to be their last breath entirely.

It was an strange addiction that the green eyed girl feared about herself.

It was probably why finding her powers gone wasn't that much of a loss. She actually felt free. She didn't have the power to hunt anymore and without the chase, there was no control. With no control, there was no thrill.

This realization made her frown.

There was now no thrill. It somehow made her sad thinking about it.

She shook the thought out of her head.

No! She refused to think about it. Losing her powers were one of the best things that could have happened to her especially with the _way_ she lost her powers, she was thought to be the most heroic kid in Townsville.

When she walked the streets, she would always be greeted with a smile. She loved being recognized that way. On the other hand, she hated the attention.

She was always the loner type and she loved her alone time. Being bothered all the time by overly friendly people was one of the worst tortures to someone like her.

That was probably why she started to retreat from civilization. In her room, it was just her alone, with normal abilities _and I couldn't be happier. _

At least, that's what she told herself.

$%^&*()

The imagines of _that_ day still haunted Bubbles and would probably continue to do so for a very long time. The scare of her sister's near death experience was anything but just a little scary.

The images always jumped around her dreams when she slept.

_First it would be the three of them together in a cage. Then she would be suspended in an electric field in front of a huge laser. The tip would glow and a tear would run down her trembling face. _

_She would scream but someone else's would always penetrate her ears. She would open her eyes and see her sister crumpled on the floor, dark smoke emitting from her form._

_There would be a deadly silence around her and she would do nothing but stare at the black haired girl in front of her. She wouldn't even notice when she was let down and started to crawl over to her._

"_Bubbles! Help me." Her sister would yell but it wouldn't do any good. She would just staring at her as Blossom did CPR._

_She would shake her head and sob loudly. "No, Buttercup. You're not dead. You can't be. You're not." She would say in a sort of mantra while Blossom yelled at her, words that wouldn't reach her ears. _

She would wake up and rush to her sister's room where she would be reading a comic or a sports magazine. Buttercup would glance at the door and smile. "The dream?"

Bubbles smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. I thought you would be gone."

Buttercup laughed. "You've had that same dream for the last month. I'm not going to go anywhere."

Bubbles knit her brows together. "Do you promise?"

Buttercup laughed. "What kind of question is that? Of course I promise."

Bubbles smiled before looking sheepish again. "Well then . . . um . . . Buttercup, c-can I sleep next to you?"

Buttercup would smirk. "Don't trust me?" She said but made room for her sister anyways.

Bubbles laughed and dove under the covers. "Nope." She hugged her sister like she would her stuff toys and Buttercup let her. Soon she drifted back to sleep and the dream continued.

_The tears would rush out of her eyes and she would yell. "You can't die!" She would snatch her sister's hand and grip it. She would yell that phrase over and over until the body groaned._

"_She's back!" Her other sister would say with tears in her eyes. _

A small smile would graze her lips as she slept.

^&*()%^

Blossom could never help worrying about her sisters. It just came natural, as their oldest sister, to notice even the slightest changes about them, like how Bubbles' night terror were coming back, but especially the huge things, like Buttercup's past behavior.

Of course, it wasn't entirely bad. Buttercup had become nicer to both her and Bubbles. She started to just hang out with them for just the fun of it and there was hardly any fighting anymore.

She'd become more withdrawn and disconnected from other people. Even the old friends she had been starting to drift from her. She stopped going out a long time ago and she didn't even practice any of the sports she was so found of.

The weirdest thing about her was that when she thought she was alone, she would have this longing look. When she seemed to realize what she was thinking she would shake it off and she would frown. It was as if a burden had been lifted off of her and she just wanted it back. She tried to confront her sister about it but she just shrugged and played dumb.

Another thing about her sister that worried Blossom more than anything was what happened on _that_ day.

_They'd been tricked and captured by the RoudyRuff Boys and were trapped in Mojo's observatory. How they came up with such a great plan was beyond her but Blossom didn't really care. She just knew they had to get out._

_For days they were in there waiting in a padded room for something to happen and a way to get free. They would get food and water through a slot in the door three times a day and possibly toilet paper for a toilet in the back. It went on for at least a month if not more. A few times Buttercup had gone crazy and began to ram herself around the cell._

"_Let us the fuck out!" She yelled one time. Blossom didn't even bother to correct her. The three of them had been in a particularly sad mood. After calculating the days in their heads, they'd realized a sad truth. It had been their birthday. Specifically it had been their 16__th__ birthday. _

"_Let us out!" She yelled. She rammed her arm on the door several times. Once was so hard it shook the room and broke her clavicle. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, it had gone unnoticed for the moment._

"_Buttercup, please stop." Bubbles pleaded. "You're going to hurt yourself." Bubbles walked toward her and attempted to calm her raging sister in front of the door. _

_To the three's surprise, it opened, revealing Butch who smirked and dragged Bubbles out by her blonde hair. Blossom flew forward to them with an attempt at tackling but the door closed a split second before her._

_Her eyes were wide with terror. "What are you going to do to her?" The pink eyed puff yelled, just as frantic as Buttercup was just a few minuets ago. "Give me back my sister!" Tears were welling in her eyes and she began to look around the room frantically, hoping that some escape would make itself known. "Buttercup we have to find a way out. They could be doing something to Bubbles. We . . . Buttercup?" _

_In her frenzy she didn't see the furious look in her sisters eyes. She was panting and dark smoke was coming our from under her and through her mouth with every breath she took. The smoke began to build until it seemed like just a dark shadow. Blossom backed up. She'd never seen this power before but she had a creeping suspicion that it wasn't a good idea being near it. The smoke began to get so abundant that it seemed as if it was just a solid mass but it seeped under the cracks of the door. _

_In the most chilling voice Blossom ever heard, her sister began to speak, "Open the door. NOW!"_

_The door creaked open slowly and Boomer stood on the other side, trembling. _

_Buttercup flew past him without a second glance, a sooty contrail accompanying the normally pure apple green._

_Blossom sucked in a breath. Foreign, cold chills were running up and down her body. "What . . . was . . .?"_

_Blossom heard Brick come running down the hall. "Boomer!" He yelled. "What did you do to my brother?" He demanded._

_Blossom looked at the blond boy in his hands and stopped. The boy's face was completely pale. He was sweating and shivering at the same time and tears leaked from his unfocused eyes. "I-I don't know. Buttercup, she . . . BUBBLES." She remembered and raced after her sisters._

_She followed the dark cloud as fast as she could, hoping that she wouldn't have to cross it. The cloud seemed to make her body shiver and her stomach churn. It made her feel uncomfortably nervous and frightened for no reason at all._

_The smoky trail lead to a huge room filled with noise and commotion. Blossom picked up her pace before stopping in her tracks. In a blink the fumes disappeared without warning but a blood-curtailing scream replaced her smoke educed fear. She rushed in the room to see a laser pointed at Bubbles but with a crippled Buttercup between._

_She ran to the panel holding Bubbles captive and released her. She fell but her eyes never left their sister._

_Quickly, Blossom flew to her injured sister's side and turned Buttercup over so that she lay on her back. She checked the pulse and immediatly began CPR. "Bubbles Help me!" Blossom yelled._

_Bubbles crawled over, in a daze, but didn't respond. "What are you doing? Find something useful!" Blossom yelled. "Bubbles! You have to find something. Electric. We need to shock her heart." Blossom screamed, trying her best to keep the tears from falling from her eyes._

"_No, Buttercup, You're not dead. You can't be dead." Bubbles said in a low voice. She clearly wasn't listening to anything that was yelled at her. She grabbed her sister's hand. "You can't die!" She yelled._

_Buttercup moaned. Blossom stopped and pressed her ear on her Buttercup's chest. Her ear was graced with the beautiful sound of a steady thump. A relived smile graced her lips. "She's back. Her heartbeat's back."_

_Bubbles smiled and hugged the dark haired girl. She groaned again and began to stir, face tense. "Blossom, she looks like she's in pain." Bubbles replied._

"_We have to get her to the professor right now." Blossom responded, back in leader mode. Bubbles nodded and burst through the roof heading straight for their home. Blossom followed suit, only stopping to glimpse at her surroundings. She wished she hadn't._

_Everyone was painting and sweaty. Their eyes all showed similar emotions, the very same Boomer had, fear. They twitched violently and most were in tears. They all looked sickly pale and black smoke came out of their mouths. In the front of the laser, Mojo twitched dangerously. _

When Buttercup had woken up, Blossom confronted her with it but Buttercup didn't seem to remember anything after Bubbles' had been dragged away. "Doesn't matter anyways. If something like that _did _happened, it can't happen again." The green eyed girl replied with a smile.

Blossom hadn't realized it but she had walked all the way to her sister's room. Cracking the door open, she couldn't help smiling. Buttercup was snoring loudly with an arm wrapped around Bubbles. Bubbles was hugging Buttercup like a stuffed animal.

Blossom walked toward the bed, careful not to make too much noise. They both looked so peaceful it made her forget everything that happened a year ago.

She lifted the green blanket off the bed and covered Buttercup's body. Her arm had gotten quit cold being exposed to the night winds.

Bubbles began to whimper in her sleep. "Can't die . . ." She mumbled.

Blossom ran her hand through Bubble's hair with a smile. "She's back, Bubbles."


	2. I'm Staying

Buttercup felt the familiar rush of air zipping past her face. She held her black and green baseball cap tightly so that it wouldn't go flying off. The people below walked on by, occasionally glancing up and waving. She'd always loved flying and she missed this feeling.

At the same time, the circumstance was to say the least, awkward for her.

"Blossom, I could have walked you know." Buttercup told her sister as she zoomed through sky.

"I know. I just thought it would be a nice change for you, not having to walk all the way to Pokey Oaks from our house." Buttercup clung to Blossom in what would have been a piggyback if it weren't parallel to the ground.

She groaned, "I don't see why we have to go at all. School doesn't start for another week. It's just freshmen orientation."

"Bubbles and the rest of the cheerleaders are performing a routine. It seems like she's gotten a big part this time and she wanted us to be there. It was her birthday wish remember?"

Buttercup sighed. "Yeah, yeah."

"Speaking of birthday," Blossom continued. "After the orientation, do you want to go somewhere for lunch? It could be a birthday treat for just us three."

"Oh. Lunch." Buttercup laughed uncomfortably. "I actually have somewhere I have to go to go."

"I really hope that you aren't going to the cemetery." Buttercup had gone to the very same cemetery at least a once a week since that day. Every time she returned home, she would always seem pensive. It was almost impossible to get her attention. Blossom didn't want her to be like that on their birthday.

Buttercup bit her bottom lip. "Then I got nothing to tell you."

The two had reached the parking lot of Pokey Oaks High School. Blossom hovered about five feet off the ground to prevent Buttercup from escaping. "Why are you so obsessed with this?" She turned her head, trying to face her Buttercup. However, since the girl was directly behind her, it was proving to be quite difficult. "This is not like you at all."

Buttercup scoffed. "Considering it was _my _powers that got taken away, I think it's pretty _like _anybody to wanna find out what the hell happened." She tried to push off her red headed sister but she had a firm grip on her leg. "Besides, it's not like_ you _to not want to be obsessed about it." She tried to push off again. "You know just as well as I do that there's something messed up about what happened last year."

She tugged her leg. Blossom held firm. "It was just another plot from Mojo to take over the world. That's all."

"Oh, Bull. A regular plot wouldn't involve us being locked up for a whole month. A regular plot wouldn't have involved goons." She began to wriggle around violently. "What's more is it definitely wouldn't have ended with him dead and me killing him." Buttercup spat with such ferocity that Blossom flinched and Buttercup dropped.

She landed on her back, the breath knocked out of her. "Oww, son of a bitch." Buttercup muttered under her breath. She picked herself up and dusted off the dirt that darkened her clean white shirt.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Blossom asked, touching down in front of her. "Here let me help." She brushed her shoulders accidentally bumping her collarbone.

Buttercup flinched back. "Whoa, watch it." The break wasn't visible or noticeable under the shirt but she had always been very conscious about it. It was, after all, yet another reminder of their tragic 16th birthday.

"Sorry, I was just . . ."

Buttercup cut her off. "No it's cool. Let's just go." She walked past Blossom casually. "Wouldn't wanna miss our sisters cheer."

&*()_(*&

After the new of the incident carried through the whole city, Buttercup had gotten quite a few members added to her fan club. Unfortunately, that didn't change the fact that Buttercup loved being alone and only succeeded in making it harder to find her.

_Her talent for disappearing is better then any super power I've ever seen. _Blossom thought, dismayed. After entering the gym filled with freshman, a crowd began to form around her. The commotion was so chaotic, it allowed her to slip away undetected. After that, Blossom couldn't find her anywhere. Bubbles said that she saw her right after the performance mentioning how great it was and an apology for having to leave so soon.

"I really want to strangle her right now." The leader of the PPG fumed.

"I really shouldn't have let her go." The youngest of the three whimpered.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Blossom assured, half to her sister and half to herself. In her hand was a green baseball cap, dropped from Buttercup's head when she scrambled away from her crazy fans. A slip of paper stuck out from the seams.

The message written on it was short and to the point:

_Now, that you don't have thos powers, there ain't nothing stoping us from wiping the flors with you. _

_If you want to keep that prety face the way it is, you and you're sisters beter leave this school._

Below, in angular but neat script was an equally brief reply:

_I don't need my powers to deal with you. If you want me, come get be because I'm not going anywhere._

_By the way, if you really want to rule the school, learn to spell dipshit._

&*()(*&&

Buttercup sat in front of a familiar tombstone. It's grave had been freshly swept and adorned with a single fresh rose. She'd do this tiny ritual before siting down.

"Hey Jo, how's it going?" She began. It was always how she began. "You're probably going to love this. My life's been a fucking hell because of you. Some dumb asses that think they're the shit are trying to pick a fight." She stared at the cold stone silently hoping for something to happen. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not a chicken and I bet I can beat then all to a pulp but it's your fault. At least tell me why you did it." As usual, nothing happened. "Why did it end the way it did for both of us?"

"Oh God, we've targeted a psycho." A deep scratchy voice jeered.

Buttercup twisted around and glared.

It was a group of five well known bullies from Pokey Oak's high school, Mitch Mitchilson, Elmer Sglue, Harry Pits, West Goinon, and Julie Bean. Before she'd lost her powers, she would frequently tell them off and humiliate them. Buttercup had already guessed that they were behind the death threats.

"What the hell do you guys want?" She asked in a low voice.

Mitch came forth establishing himself as the leader of the crew. Buttercup made a mental note to get rid of him first. "We were just wondering if you got our little message."

Mitch tried to engage in a stare down. Buttercup didn't falter. Why would she? She'd gotten into a staring contest with much more fearsome creatures before.

She smirked a little when Mitch flinched. "I did actually. I was going to give it back but I think I lost it." She stood and dusted off her butt. "I think my reply was somewhere along the lines of I'm not going anywhere so come get me if you want me."

She crouched into her battle position. Even if she hadn't fought for a while the familiar rush of adrenaline and the frantic pounding of her chest instantly made her giddy.

The small gang of bullies gulped nervously but got into there fighting stance too. They couldn't back down from one girl but the disturbing, excited smile that grazed Buttercup's face was one that they wouldn't forget anytime soon.


	3. A Matter of Pride

_Kick. Punch. Spin. Kick. Spin. Punch. Buttercup's body was on autopilot and before she knew it her enemies were all lying down on the ground. As she panted, inhaling her victory through a bloody nose as the adrenalin slowly began to recede from her veins. _

_She felt her knees buckle and she collapsed flat on her stomach. Rain was pouring down and she only felt how drenched she was when her body finally stilled. It was then that she finally felt the hits that they'd inflicted on her even if she still couldn't distinguish one injury from another. One thing she did notice was the pain in her head beginning to claim her consciousness._

_This wasn't good. If they'd only had one more buddy she would have been a goner._

_On the other hand, she probably was already a goner._

_She still smirked, happy that she gave five other people a beating before falling. Even if they did played dirty. That had to count for something right? It had to prove that she wasn't completely powerless right?_

_Buttercup closed her eyes and allowed her vision to fade._

_She heard a sigh and shuffling, presumably someone crouching down to her level on the wet ground. It spoke but it sounded far away. "I can't believe that display. That was kind of pathetic." _

_She frowned but couldn't form a reply because she was already knocked out._

&*()_()*

When her consciousness finally returned to her, Buttercup couldn't help but notice the predicament her body was in. Her eyes felt glued shut, her side seemed like someone set a candle to it, and her brain finally wanted to break out of her skull. Not to mention she couldn't even get her pinkie to move.

She tried to scream for help but all that came out was a crippling, coughing fit. It left her panting for breath and an ever more sore throat. To top it off she felt something trying to climb up her throat.

The leaned to one side and threw up.

"Nurse, we need a maid in here, stat." A somewhat familiar voice urgently called.

Buttercup pried one eye open and saw a blob of fiery red hair and piercing black eyes.

"Water." Buttercup mouthed. The person probably didn't understand her but a silky smooth hand did start to caress the side of her face.

"Don't worry. You'll be just fine." By now, Buttercup could tell that the one speaking was a woman. "I'll take care of you." Her voice was calming and Buttercup could feel her consciousness slip away again.

&*()_)(*&

The second time Buttercup woke up, she felt much better. Still felt like crap but it was better than the immobility before.

She opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. Green bed sheets, circular windows, clothes everywhere, she was definitely back in her room. It made her wonder if the soft voice from the hospital (or at least she assumed it was the hospital) was just a drug induced hallucination.

She doubted it.

At the same time, she didn't think she was going to see her again soon anyways.

She tried to get on her feet. Her legs buckled and she fell to her knees. _This really is pathetic. _She thought, agreeing to her savior, presumably, from after the gang fight.

Using the wall as a support, she walked to her door and opened it.

A conversation was being carried downstairs, probably about her, between the Professor and a random stranger.

"Thank you for bringing her. We were so worried." He started.

"It's no problem at all." A woman replied.

Buttercup immediately recognized the voice. It was the same lady who had called the nurses after she hurled all over the place.

Her face tinted red and she tried to walk away. Maybe if she pretended to still be asleep, she wouldn't have to face her.

She turned around but her pace was slow. She was able to hear a bit more of the conversation.

"If you don't mind me asking, what caused her to be in this kind of condition?" The woman asked.

"I can't be positive until I ask her but I'm fairly certain it was a fight with some children from school" He sighed. "I honestly don't know what to do about it."

"Why don't you pull her out of that school?"

The professor laughed. "If I didn't know her, I would but it's not that easy. She wouldn't like that at all."

Buttercup grinned as she limped away toward her room. She was glad the professor knew her so well.

She didn't notice the figure standing in front of her until she bumped into it, knocking her on her butt with a loud audible thud. Buttercup let out an involuntary groan as the vibration shot through her sore body.

Buttercup looked up to find luminescent green eyes, a fraction darker then her own. They belonged to a woman with black, shoulder length hair hung down in a semblance of an organized disaster. She had a kind of face that you would find on a wild mercenary. It shouldn't have matched with the perfect black suit lining her slim features. Key word, it shouldn't have. The woman's rakish features awed Buttercup in a strange way so that she could only stare for a while.

The conversation from below halted and the stranger woman called up to the figure. "Iris, what happened?"

"She's awake." The woman replied casually. Iris glanced down at Buttercup and offered her hand. "Finally awake?" She asked with a grin.

Buttercup recognized this voice too. She was the one that picked her up after the fight. "It's you."

Iris grinned. "It's me." She grabbed Buttercup's hands and helped her up. Buttercup stumbled and Iris moved in to help support her. "Easy. No need to push yourself."

Buttercup's brow furrowed. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Buttercup pried herself from Iris and stood, albeit, shakily.

"Buttercup, are you alright?" The professor asked ascending the stairs.

"Yeah. Professor. I'm fine." Her voice was horse and cracked but it was there.

The professor sped walked toward her and enveloped her in a hug. "Oh thank goodness. We were so worried about you."

Buttercup tried to push him away gently. "Don't worry about it . . . Dad." She reassured him.

The woman emerged from behind her father and Buttercup's blush returned with a vengeance. "Uh . . . hey." Buttercup started nervously.

The woman smiled, flashing straight white teeth in her direction. "I'm glad you feel better."

"Yeah, thanks for that." Buttercup reached behind her and rubbed the back of her neck.

The stranger lady walked over and intertwined an arm with Buttercup's before the teen even see her move. "It was no problem but you should get back in bed. You did just get out of a three week coma.

"Three weeks?" Buttercup exclaimed barely noticing the woman dragging her away. "School started already?"

"Yes. Your sisters are there right now." The professor replied.

Buttercup rushed to the professor. "How much longer 'till school lets out?"

The three adults stared at her surprised. "About three hours." Professor Utonium replied. "Why?"

Buttercup staggered toward her bedroom. "I'm going." She replied.

"Now hold on young lady." Professor U. grabbed Buttercup by the arm. "You just woke up. You aren't strong enough to go to school yet."

Buttercup frowned. "You don't understand. I _have _to go."

The man crossed his arms. "And why is that?"

Buttercup bit her lip and looked to the ground. She didn't know how to tell her acting father why she so desperately need to be at school. Was she suppose to say she didn't want the people who fought her to think she was running away? She didn't want to appear weak? Even in her mind it sounded arrogant and childish. It would never be good enough excuse for the professor.

Still, she had to tell him something. "I just have to, alright." She finally decided. He looked at her and she looked at him as they tried to relay what they wanted to say to each other. His expression softened and he uncrossed his arms.

"Buttercup, you have to rest. This isn't like before where you'll be fine later, you aren't like your sisters anymore."

Buttercup clenched her jaws tight. "Fine." She yelled before taking the last few steps into her room and slamming the door.

The shear force caused a loud band and Buttercup fell to her knees. She tried to push herself up but couldn't anymore. The small trip down the hall and back had rendered her weaker than before. The discovery surprised her but it quickly faded to anger, then sadness. Tears of frustration leaker from her eyes. She wanted to punch something, to break something, to fly away at supersonic speeds. Most of all, she wanted to be in control of her body but now she couldn't even get on her feet.

She heard the door click open and shut softly and she stifled her sobs with a deep inhalation.

"Umm . . . hey." The person greeted. It was Iris.

"Hi." Buttercup stated flatly. She managed to control the wavering of her voice. "I probably look pretty pathetic right now."

Iris laughed lightly. "You remember that huh?" She asked as she scooped Buttercup up off the ground and lowering her in her bed. The woman was strong.

Buttercup nodded. "I probably did look pretty lame, celebrating in the rain while half dead."

"Yeah, well, I thought it was pretty reckless the way you fought but seeing as you were against 5 other people, you have guts."

Buttercup smiled. "Thanks." For some unknown reason, being praised by this lady felt really good. The smile disappeared pretty fast. "That still doesn't change anything. I'm stuck in this house and those people I fought are probably thinking they won. The bastards."

Iris sat at the edge of her bed and leaned back on her arms. "Maybe. They probably thought they scared you away."

Buttercup slammed a fist into her palm. "When I heal, we'll see just how they think then."

A moment of silence passed and Buttercup's eyes widened. "Sorry."

"What for?" Iris asked.

"You probably think I'm just a violent kid that goes around picking fights."

The older woman laughed. "Nah. You're a hero, Little Miss Utonium. Every hero has her enemies."

Buttercup smiled again. It was quite for a moment longer. Buttercup mused on how the silence wasn't at all uncomfortable. She couldn't put a finger on it but something about Iris made her feel at ease and she felt that she could open up to her.

It was an odd realization. She'd never felt at ease with anyone before, not even her own family. "Who are you?" Buttercup asked aloud.

The woman smiled and shrugged. "Iris Queenly. Nice to meet you."

Buttercup held out her hand and shook it. "Same." She shook Iris' hand and peered into her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No. Not that I know of . . . it's just that . . . Never mind."

"I bet I can guess." Iris placed a hand on Buttercup's mouth. Before the bewildered teen could process what was happening, an icy jolt of nervousness rose from the pit of her stomach. Iris removed her and it was gone. "You're feeling really calm around me and you wanna know why." She answer calmly.

Buttercup's eyes scrunched. "How did you know?" The teen began to raise her guards.

Iris grinned and her dark green eyes began to glow red. Buttercup's jaw dropped.

"PROFES~" The rest of the work was cut off by a hand slapping Buttercup's mouth shut.

"Wait let me explain." Buttercup began to scream obscenities and curses toward Iris. "I swear, I'm not here to hurt you. If I was I would have done so already so calm down okay?"

The teen quieted and Iris slowly removed her hand. "You have two minutes before I start screaming like bloody murder. Talk. Who are you and what do you want?"

Iris sighed. "My name is Iris Queenly and I bumped into you by chance. I didn't plan anything out."

"Then why are you like that? Why do you have powers?"

Iris sighed. "Alright. It started 8 years ago. I was really poor back then and so I had to get into some dangerous jobs just to make ends meet. One of them was testing out drugs. There was this weird place called Plantation Inc. and before I knew it, I'd become a lab experiment. As far as I know, I was the first success they had and suddenly, the whole place was shut down and I was free just like that." Buttercup looked at Iris intently. "Don't you believe me?" She asked, sounding a bit worried.

"Whether I do or not doesn't matter. I still can't trust you."

Iris looked irked. "Maybe this will change your mind." She lifted her hand and a yellow mist began to emanate from it.

Buttercup covered her mouth but the vapor was still able to get through the gaps in her fingers. Surprisingly, it filled her with a kind of energy. "What the heck . . ."

"It's a special ability or something. It can give you energy for a while."

Buttercup looked up at Iris blankly. "So . . ."

"You can do what you want for now. Tie me up, yell for help, toss me out. It's your choice."

The teen considered these options as she tested out her legs. They were steady as she walked toward the woman. "Thank you." They exchanged smiles.

Buttercup stretched and picked up a shirt and pants and began to slip it on.

"Where are you going?" Iris asked.

Buttercup grinned. "School."


	4. Face off

Buttercup ran toward Pokey Oaks high school with a huge grin on her face. As her feet pounded the asphalt, she rejoiced to find that pain wasn't going up and down her body. She didn't even notice the black car that pulled up beside her until the window had rolled down to reveal a stunningly beautiful face.

"Hey."

Buttercup stopped and looked toward the direction of the voice. It was a woman with curly red hair that hung loosely around her face. She was grinning a bright smile and her impossibly dark brown eyes looked friendly but with a hint of mischief at the same time.

Buttercup pointed at her. "You're the girl that saved me."

She giggled. It was rather musical to Buttercup's ears. "Yep, that's me but I also go by Seliah."

Buttercup rubbed the back or her neck. It only occurred to her that she didn't even bother to learn the lady's name.

The girl smiled. "You are so adorable."

"A-a-adorable?" Buttercup stuttered. Her cheeks felt warmer than normal. "No, one's called me that before."

"Really? I would think you would receive compliments like that more often." She put a finger on her chin in thought. "Then again, they probably haven't seen you asleep. You're sleeping face is just to die for."

Buttercup averted her gaze to the ever interesting ground and tried to get her mind under control. "Um . . . thanks."

The pretty grin suddenly faded from Seliah's lips. "Hey, Buttercup."

"Huh?"

"Are you sure you can go to school?"

Buttercup was suddenly reminded that she was on her way to Pokey Oaks without her father's permission. Her face turned grave. "Yeah, don't worry about it." She turned away from Seliah and began to resume her run.

Seliah started her car and coasted it alongside her. "Listen, Buttercup, I know you've only met me a few hours ago but I've taken care of you for weeks now. I don't want to see you hurt again."

Buttercup was starting to feel uncomfortable with how familiar Seliah was being. She acted like they'd known each other their whole lives.

At the same time, she had an unreasonable feeling that Seliah knew exactly what she was talking about, like she really did know Buttercup from the inside out. That thought made her just as uncomfortable.

"I feel fine see? I'm not even out of breath yet." Buttercup stated as she continued her jog. The school was already in plain sight.

Seliah sighed. "Maybe, but I have to at least tell you something Iris probably didn't. She's so irresponsible." She muttered to herself. "The energy you feel is just as it is. Energy. She didn't cure you. All the strain that you're putting on your body will come back soon."

Buttercup didn't think of this earlier. She screeched to a halt. "And she didn't bother to tell me this before?" She grabbed at her hair. "I'm probably going to have sore legs and now I'm yelling. I'm probably having a sore throat later too."

"Yes, exactly. So, why don't you just get in the car and I'll drive you back home. I'll even help you get in your room without your dad seeing."

Buttercup sighed. "No. I still have to do this. I'll pay the consequences for being stupid later."

Seliah frowned. "I figured you would say that." She reached into the glove department and pulled out a paper bag.

"Um . . . lunch is over." Buttercup pointed.

Seliah smiled. "I know." She tossed the bag casually over to Buttercup. She caught it. "I think you'll still need this though." The woman rolled up her windows and drove away, leaving Buttercup dumbstruck and confused.

Buttercup looked into the bag. It was an inhaler of some sort. Raising a brow, she gave the top a push. Yellow vapor drifted out.

%^&**())

Buttercup entered the building with dignity and an arrogant smile just in time to hear the bell ring. Suddenly the halls were packed with students. She stopped by the girls' restroom and took a breath of her energy inhaler.

She turned to face the huge mirror. Her hair was a mess and she had stitches on her lip but other then that, there wasn't really much visible damage. _At least they don't see what's under the clothes. _She thought. She didn't really know what kind of injuries she sustained but she did know that it required half her body to be wrapped in gauze.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the hall to join the rest of the students.

Many head's turned. Buttercup couldn't hold her smirk. She could almost feel the surprise like a in the students. Soon a path cleared for her

. . . . all the way to Mitch Mitchelson and his group of goons.

Buttercup's smile widened when she saw the state each bully was in. Each of them was sporting at least one cast. "Sup." Buttercup asked casually as she pushed past them, making sure to brush a few shoulders.

An arm lunged out and spun Buttercup to face Mitch. "Are you trying to pick a fight, Utonium?"

Buttercup laughed. "Of course not, wouldn't want to be knocked out by one of those fancy crutches."

Mitch narrowed his eyes and threw a punch.

Buttercup's smirked widened. It was a sloppy punch and she was sure it wasn't as powerful as it could have been. She raised her arms and deflected it.

Or that was the plan. . .

A sudden blur of red and blue shot out from behind her. "That's enough." A familiar commanding voice warned with surprising force. The owner of the voice had a hand gripping Mitch's wrist. He was grimacing in pain.

Blossom shot a surprised look at Buttercup before she turned to look back at her classmates. "Don't you guys have class or something?" She yelled.

The crowd began to recede as the red puff grabbed her recently wounded sister by the arm.

Mitch smirked. "Always relying on your sisters for everything now, huh, Buttercup?"

The green ex-puff winced. That had been a sever strike to her pride and he knew it. Buttercup vowed to beat the crap out of him later.

For now, she was being dragged to the school parking lot by two distraught sisters.

"Blossom, where are we going?" Bubbles asked.

"We're going home." She replied

"But what about our stuff?"

"We'll worry about that later but right now," she spared a glance at Buttercup, "We have to go home."

Bubbles turned around and beckoned Buttercup into a piggyback. "It's okay. I can just walk."

Blossom frowned and grabbed Buttercup's arm. "You shouldn't even be moving."

Buttercup frowned"I feel fine."

Blossom scoffed. "Maybe, but I'm not going to risk you bleeding out."

Buttercup looked confused and Blossom couldn't help but stare, wide eyed. "You honestly don't know?"

"Know what?"

"You of all people wouldn't get knocked down just from punches and kicks. You were stabbed."

&(*)(&&(*)(

The ride was quiet but it didn't last very long. It was probably 5 minutes but the silence seemed endless.

They touched the asphalt of their driveway with a soundless landing. Blossom still didn't say anything but her face was grim. The house was also quiet meaning Iris and Seliah wouldn't be able to help her in this situation.

"Professor, we're home." Bubbles called in the house timidly.

"Girl's you're early. Is something . . . wrong?" His eyes rested on Buttercup. "I see you know she's awake."

Blossom snorted and marched into her room.

The professor looked up at her worriedly. "I think it would be best if you escort your sister back to her room Bubbles. I'll have a talk with her later." Buttercup sighed and trudged into her room.

The door clicked to a close and Bubbles grabbed Buttercup's hand and hugged it to her chest. "I'm so glad you're okay. We were so worried. We really thought you were going to die."

"Aw, you know I wouldn't die just like that. Not after what I'd been through." Buttercup tried to reassure her.

Bubbles gave her a weak smile. "Oh yeah, let's get you back in bed."

Buttercup nodded and rummaged around her drawers for some clean pajamas. Bubbles pulled the desk chair to the side of Buttercup's bed and just sat, patiently waiting for her sister. That's something Buttercup always loved about Bubbles. She knew about her sisters' insecurity always made sure to adjust to them.

Buttercup laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Bubbles was the first to break the silence. "So, Mitch and his friends really jumped you?"

"Yeah." Buttercup replied simply.

"All 5 of them?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Buttercup. I'm so glad that you're alright."

The green puff shrugged. "Don't worry. I promise, next time, it's going to be different."

At the words "next time" Bubbles couldn't help but flinch. She shook her head and placed a hand on her sister's. "There won't be a next time, Buttercup." The green puff tilted her head in confusion. Bubbles sat back down. "We think it's a bad idea for you to go back to school. Blossom and the Professor made some arrangements and you won't be going back to Pokey Oaks with us."

Buttercup's jaw dropped. "You guys aren't serious."

"You'll really like this school though." Bubbles reasoned." It's so physical. I bet you'll fit right in."

"That's not right! Do you know how hard I fought those guys just to prove a point? I beat all five of them! Isn't that enough?"

"But Buttercup, you came back almost dead with a stab wound we weren't even sure you were going to recover from."

"So are you siding with them now?"

Bubbles began to get flustered. "Well . . . . I . . . no that's not it . . . it's . . . ."

The professor and Blossom opened the door to stumble on the scene. "Now, Buttercup, that's quite enough. You'll aggravate your wound. You should be resting now anyways."

"I'm staying at Pokey Oaks, Professor."

Blossom scowled. "Stop being unreasonable. You know those guys aren't going to let you go just like that. What about next time, Buttercup?"

"I'll beat them just like I did this time."

The professor tried to intervene. "Girls, girls . . ."

He was cut off. "Yeah maybe but what'll you come back with next time? A gunshot wound or internal bleeding?" Blossom shot.

"I'll recover from it just like now. I'm tougher than that and you know it." Buttercup leaned forward practically spitting out her words.

"You. Got. Lucky." Blossom stated each word with more force than the one before. "When will you learn that you don't have powers anymore? There are things you won't recover from just because we cry over you. You can't just fly away if you bite off more than you can chew. You aren't invincible and if you keep going like this I promise you, you will die."

Buttercup clenched her teeth but didn't reply. Frankly, she didn't know how.

"Buttercup!" Bubbles exclaimed pointing to Buttercup's side.

A crimson stain began to form on her dark green pajama shirt and it kept growing. Buttercup looked at it a bit confused. She lifted her shirt and saw that her whole torso seemed to be covered in gauze. The gauze on her left side was soaked through with bright red blood.

Professor Utonium sighed. "You ripped your stitches."

Blossom went pale. "I'm sorry Buttercup, I didn't mean to."

Bubbles hovered over to examine it. Buttercup ignored her and continued to stare at the red splatter in amusement. _I guess all that running topped with this shout fest really did something. _

"It's quite alright. She's going to be just fine." Professor Utonium escorted the two puffs out of the room. "I'll take care of her now both of you finish your homework."

The two nodded obediently and drifted off to their rooms.

The tired professor looked at Buttercup and sighed before offering a smile. "Why don't you lay down? Let's get that fixed up."

Buttercup slid her bloody shirt off and laid on her back. The professor gingerly worked on taking the gauze off. Buttercup would wince every so often from the contact of the surgical scissors on bare skin. After a long stretch of more silence between them Buttercup finally trusted herself not to yelp from small pangs of pain. "I'm sorry I made you three worry."

The professor didn't look up from his needle and thread. "We're just really glad you're okay but please be more careful next time. I don't think I can take another life and death experience from you and, frankly, you're sisters are closer to murderous then I'm comfortable with."

Buttercup chuckled briefly. "I get it but I still don't see the point in pulling me out of the school. I really wanna stay."

The professor's brows knit together. "The three of us agree that it's best that you enter in a different school. This school is much better suited for you anyways."

Buttercup had to clench every muscle in her body to keep herself from striking out at things. _I don't understand this. With powers, things are always out of control, without them, everyone is always telling me to do. At least back then, I could at least fight for what I want. _She was so tired of it. She was so tired and she was so angry.

"Buttercup, honey, are you okay?" The professor asked. His voice sounded distant.

Buttercup couldn't pinpoint where his voice was coming from. "Professor, I'm so . . .tired." Her eyes fluttered close.


End file.
